Ammiraglio Bridge

The admiral was in fact Giorgio d’Antiochia, admiral of king Roger II. He built the bridge in 1131 to connect the city to the gardens beyond the Oreto river. Today, it has maintained its function, with a monument symbolising the link between the city centre and the suburb of Brancaccio in the centre of piazza Scaffa.

Its structure consists of very pointed arches that allowed the bridge to survive even when the terrible flood in Palermo occurred, in February 1931. Afterwards, for environmental safety reasons, the river was diverted and now a garden grows under the bridge.

In 1860, on this bridge, Garibaldi clashed with the Bourbon troops that were defending the south entrance of the city. The night before the encampment from Mille to Gibilrossa, Garibaldi directed at Bixio the famous phrase: Nino, tomorrow to Palermo. The next day, the insurrection of Palermo took place.